


Lifeboats

by theskywasblue



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Childhood, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-03
Updated: 2011-04-03
Packaged: 2017-10-18 18:45:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/192053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>a little sequel to <a href="http://theskywasblue.dreamwidth.org/31632.html">Small Favours</a>, because I felt like it *shrugs*</p>
    </blockquote>





	Lifeboats

**Author's Note:**

> a little sequel to [Small Favours](http://theskywasblue.dreamwidth.org/31632.html), because I felt like it *shrugs*

“You boys hungry? Sit down, I’ll get you something.”

Dean helps little Sam into his chair before he climbs into one himself. He’s all caretaking and cautious looks. Sam’s face is puffy from dozing on the trip and his eyes are taking in everything, wide and a little stunned.

Bobby doesn’t keep a lot of food handy – he’s on the road too much – but there’s bologna and cheese slices, the bread doesn’t have any mould on it, and there’s a can of peas and carrots in the pantry, which seems better than nothing.

Dean makes faces at the vegetables, but devours the sandwich. Sam eats the peas with his fingers, making happy smacking noises, but looks at the sandwich like he doesn’t know what to do with it.

“What’s the matter – it’s not gonna bite you.”

“You have to cut it into triangles,” Dean instructs, and when Bobby reaches for the knife his confusion must show through, because the kid takes it right from his hand. “I can do it.”

He cuts the sandwich twice diagonally and Sam goes to town. Dean asks, “Can I have another?”

“I wanna have more peas,” Sam says around a mouthful of bologna, and Dean scrapes his share onto his brother’s plate, chiding, _say please_ ; a smile escaping when Sam says _peas_ bright and clear with a smart-assed grin.

While Bobby is putting together more bologna and cheese, Dean asks him, “When is our dad coming?”

He thinks about John’s broken, clotted voice on the other end of the phone line, but he doesn’t let the memory show on his face. “You boys don’t have to worry ‘bout your daddy. He’ll be just fine, and you’ll be fine here until he gets back.”

The boys don’t ask him any more questions; they just eat quietly and watch him, like a pair of deer at the water’s edge, scouting danger.

***

He puts the boys to sleep in his own bed – there’s a guest room, but everything in there is buried under books and hunting supplies, it would take days to rearrange everything to make the room habitable, but Bobby is planning it out as he lies on the couch in the dark.

There’s no telling, after all, when John will show up, and his back won’t tolerate the couch forever.

Just before four in the morning he goes upstairs, checks on the boys, all tangled around each other in bed like foundling kittens. The blankets are kicked everywhere and Sam is drooling on his brother’s arm.

When Bobby stands too long in the doorway, Dean’s eyelids flutter and he murmurs, “Dad?”

Bobby tells him, “Go back to sleep, son,” and Dean does.

***

He tells everyone in town that Sam and Dean are his sister’s boys, picking and choosing bits of what he knows about John to shape the story just enough to make it believable. The boys take to calling him “Uncle Bobby” as easy as breathing, which helps.

He gets Sam picture books from the Sioux Falls public library, starts teaching Dean how to take apart an old lawnmower engine.

They eat a lot of bologna and cheese.

***

Bobby is on the phone with a hunter who’s chasing demon signs in Utah when John’s Impala pulls into the yard and the boys go wild, flying out the front door all whoops and hollers, and throwing themselves at John as he gets out of the car.

“I’m going to have to call you back,” Bobby mutters into the phone, not waiting for a response before he hangs up.

John looks rough around the edges; his face is bruised and puffy and he moves like he’s sore in muscles he didn’t know he had, but there’s no hesitation when he lifts Sam up and kisses his forehead before slotting the boy on his hip, freeing up a hand to smooth through Dean’s hair.

“Did you boys behave yourselves for Mister Singer?”

Dean says, “Yessir,” But with just enough quiet annoyance to make it obvious that he feels like John shouldn’t have to ask the question.

“Good boy,” he’s smiling when he puts Sam down, “take your brother and get your things.”

There’s hardly anything to get – some threadbare clothes, a couple of books, a few toys – but Dean goes easy and obedient, his hand curled around Sam’s. Bobby touches the top of his head as he passes by into the house.

“Good to see you again, John.” He means good to see you alive, and John ducks his head in acknowledgement, knowing the code. Bobby's more glad he didn't have to break the boys' hearts.

John Winchester isn’t much for saying thanks, so Bobby doesn’t expect any. He’s still surprised when John asks, “Did they mind you?”

“They’re good boys,” Bobby promises him, and when he goes on with, “you can bring ‘em back anytime,” he means it without any reservation.

-End-


End file.
